Cosmic Crusader completes Melbourne feature double
Former Western Australian star Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice) kept his perfect Melbourne record intact and completed a rare feature double in Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.2 Catanach’s Jewellers PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Bred in New Zealand by his high-profile Perth owner Bob Peters, Cosmic Crusader had won last month’s Gr.3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) in his only previous Melbourne appearance. Saturday’s victory made him only the fourth horse to complete the Bletchingly-Lawrence double, joining Super Elegant (Mister C) (2003), Apache Cat (Lion Cavern) (2007) and Shoot Out (High Chaparral) (2010).
Cosmic Crusader made a big first impression on Melbourne audiences with his two-and-a-half-length victory in the Bletchingly, and despite meeting much stronger opposition on Saturday, he stepped out as a $2.50 favourite.
Leading Perth jockey William Pike flew across the country to take the ride, and Cosmic Crusader took up a midfield position as Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) showed the way up to the home turn.
Pike angled Cosmic Crusader into the clear at the top of the straight, and he quickly had Evaporate in his sights.
Cosmic Crusader lengthened stride and surged past Evaporate, then turned back a strong challenge along the inside from A$12 million earner Private Eye (Al Maher) to win by three-quarters of a length.
“That was very nice,” Pike said. “Thanks very much to the connections for offering me the ride today. He was too good a ride to pass up.
“The horse was fantastic and has a lovely stride. We found a nice position behind a good, even pace.
“I got him into the clear and he took over from there. He was going easily and just took me for a ride.”
Now trained at Pakenham by Andrea Leek for prominent Perth owner Bob Peters, Cosmic Crusader has had 19 starts for 10 wins, five placings and A$1.81 million in stakes.
Leek will now point the six-year-old towards the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29.
“I was a bit worried about how far back he was in the running today, but he’s a lovely horse with a lot of ability,” she said. “I thought he’d come on from that first-up run in the Bletchingly, and hopefully he can come on a bit more from this one too.
“We’re lucky that we’ve got our hills at home, and he’ll be working around them between now and the Memsie. It’s only two weeks between runs, so he won’t need to do a lot. Hopefully he can come back for the Memsie and be as good or better than he was today.”
Peters made a relatively rare cross-country journey to be at Caulfield for Saturday’s race.
“I was a bit worried when he was pulling in the run, but once Willie got him to the outside, I could see that he was on the job,” Peters said. “The Memsie is the obvious way to go now. He had to get through this one to get there, but he’s done it well.”
Previously an eight-race winner in Perth including last December’s Gr.1 Northerly Stakes (1800m), Cosmic Crusader is by Maurice out of the Street Sense mare Cosmic Storm, whose seven wins included the Gr.3 La Trice Classic (1800m) and three Listed races. Cosmic Storm is a half-sister to three stakes winners including the Gr.1 Cantala Stakes (1600m) winner Superstorm (Sebring). - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Cosmic Crusader (NZ) 2020
Owners: Peters Investments Pty Ltd
Trainer: Ms Andrea Leek (Pakenham)
Breeding: by Maurice (JPN) out of Cosmic Storm (AUS) by Street Sense (USA)
Breeder: Peters Investments Pty Ltd
Bradley claims home feature with exciting filly
Local filly She’s No Saint (Prague) put her contemporaries on notice for the rest of the spring following her dominant win in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on Saturday.
The race has long been in the crosshairs for trainer Michelle Bradley, who raced her filly over winter, where she built nicely into her target race, winning at Ellerslie over 1200m in June before replicating that result on her home track a fortnight ago over 1100m.
Punters flocked to debut winner Shalabiya (NZ) (Brazen Beau) for the Northland Breeders’, with the half-sister to Group One winner Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) jumping a $1.50 favourite, while She’s No Saint had solid support as the $5.40 second elect.
She’s No Saint sprung the gates, with jockey George Rooke stoking up his charge to vie for the lead. However, there was plenty of speed inside the pair and they were forced to work hard to find the top, and She’s No Saint continued to race keenly up front.
Turning for home, Shalabiya and State Of Valour (NZ) (Sword Of State) loomed ominously, but She’s No Saint kicked again, and to the roar of her local supporters, she distanced her rivals, eventually running out a 3-3/4 length victor over Shalabiya, with 1-1/4 lengths back to Silhouette in third.
Bradley was beaming with emotion post-race, with the local horsewoman happy that her plan had come to fruition.
“It is great when you have got a plan and it comes off,” she said. “I was a little bit worried when she was racing a bit keenly, but George knows what he is doing and I left it up to him.”
While hopeful of a bold showing, Bradley admitted she didn’t expect her filly to win the race in such convincing fashion.
“I wasn’t expecting that, she has really surprised me,” Bradley said. “With her races and trials previously, I have spaced them a month out, so this is the first time she has gone two weeks (between runs). I am super happy for the owners, it is fantastic.
“She is just maturing more and more, and she is developing into a lovely filly. Around the stables she is so quiet, but to ride, you have still got to be awake, you can’t go to sleep on her.
“She is just doing everything with ease, which is fantastic.”
Bradley said there is still plenty to work on with her filly’s racing manners, but she is relieved She’s No Saint has now earned black-type, which has taken the pressure off slightly.
“One thing I would take out of today is that I would like her to settle a little bit,” Bradley said. “Whether that needs to be in behind and get some cover, but we have got black-type now.”
While the Northland Breeders’ has always been the main aim, Bradley said she has been mapping out a plan to get to the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, and she is hopeful it works out.
“This was our target, but I have already sat back and worked out from the Group One (1000 Guineas), if we get there,” she said. “You have got to plan like that and be ready for those races. It might work out, it might not, you don’t know. From 1200m to a mile is a big step up. To get today ticked off the bucket list is fantastic.
“We will see how she come through it and on to the next race, which will be over 1400m, and we will go from there.”
She’s No Saint was initially purchased out of Fairhill Farm’s 2024 Australian Weanling Sale by Highline Thoroughbreds and bloodstock agent Paul Moroney for A$65,000 as a pinhooking prospect.
She failed to reach her $100,000 reserve at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2025 Book 1 Yearling Sale, but she had caught Bradley’s eye when inspecting the filly, and a deal was subsequently brokered.
She’s Not Saint has now won three of her seven starts and more than $132,000 in prizemoney. - Joshua Smith
Winner: She's No Saint 2023
Owners: GS Bloodstock Ltd, T W Archer Trust, M Spranger, M Breed, D Smith, H Perry, M Beazley, D McKenzie, A Golightly, C Wilson, J Heasley, B, K & R Bennetto & B Drinkwater
Trainer: Michelle Bradley / Ruakaka
Breeding: by Prague (AUS) out of Poetic Diva (AUS) by Poet's Voice (GB)
Breeder: Mr MJ O'Donnell, Austramore Pty Ltd
Sales: 2025 National Yearling Sales Series V: Highline Thoroughbreds $55,000, P: Mrs Michelle Linda Bradley
Taka Speed breaks through at Caulfield
Victory in Saturday’s A$130,000 Remembering Diatribe Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield capped a consistent run of form for Taka Speed (NZ) (Savabeel), and the New Zealand-bred gelding also passed an important stamina test.
Previously a four-time winner between 1400m and 1800m, the Savabeel gelding had attempted 2000m only once before in his career and had finished at the tail of the field.
But trainer Matt Laurie remained confident Taka Speed had the stamina for a middle-distance. After a solid run of winter performances to finish fifth over 1600m at Flemington, fourth over 1600m at Randwick, fourth over 1700m at Caulfield and second over 1800m at Sandown, Saturday was the time to try again.
The five-year-old was ridden by Daniel Stackhouse and finished strongly out of midfield, overhauling Lincoln Rocks (NZ) (Road To Rock) and the front-running Amleto (See The Stars) through the last 150m to score by half a length.
“With a big field, I thought they might run the race at good speed today,” Stackhouse said. “They definitely did that going into the first corner. I didn’t quite have the tactical early speed to go with them, but I was able to come back and get a lovely run in transit. He switched off beautifully.
“He’s been knocking on the door, so a win like this is great for him.”
With Laurie in France for the Arqana sale at Deauville, he was represented at Caulfield on Saturday by his wife Kate.
“We were excited to get this horse back up over 2000m,” she said. “He’s a horse we always thought would stay, but we just hadn’t really made it out to that distance, and when we did try him at 2000m, he had to lead.
“He did a great job today, with a fabulous ride by ‘Stacky’. He managed to find a position and get the horse to settle. It was very good to see.”
Taka Speed has now had 15 starts for five wins, two placings and A$200,225 in prize-money.
Taka Speed was bred by Dalanna Bloodstock Pty Ltd & J E Abrahams Pty Ltd and is by the legendary Savabeel out of the Toorak Toff mare Toffee Nose. A two-race winner over 1200m and 2000m, Toffee Nose also finished second in the Gr.3 Alexandra Stakes (1600m) and fourth in the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m).
Offered by Curraghmore during the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Taka Speed was bought by Pierre Ng for $300,000.
Since producing Taka Speed in 2021, Toffee Nose has foaled a filly by Ocean Park (a three-year-old named Piko Blossom), a filly by Proisir and a colt by Ocean Park. - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Taka Speed (NZ) 2021
Owners: Mr W Wong, Miss M Sun
Trainer: Mr Matt Laurie (Mornington)
Breeding: by Savabeel (AUS) out of Toffee Nose (AUS) by Toorak Toff (AUS)
Breeder: Dalanna Bloodstock Pty Ltd & J E Abrahams Pty Ltd
Sales: 2023 Ready To Run Sale V: Curraghmore $300,000, P: Mr. Pierre Ng
Attractiveness signs off with second Midway
Lightly raced mare Attractiveness (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) capped a breakthrough campaign with her second straight Rosehill victory on Saturday, setting up a potential shot at black type in the autumn.
Previously a winner and placegetter from four starts between November and January, the New Zealand-bred daughter of Hello Youmzain has progressed stylishly through the grades this winter.
She was a first-up winner at Newcastle before graduating to city company, where she ran third and fifth before breaking through with a smart win in a Midway Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on August 1.
Attractiveness was a $1.80 favourite to deliver a repeat result in Saturday’s A$120,000 Midway Handicap (1500m) at the same venue, and she overcame some nervous moments to sign off her preparation on a winning note.
Leading apprentice Siena Grima took the mount on Saturday, reducing the four-year-old’s impost to 57.5kg. Grima made the most of the handy barrier (gate two) and took up a handy position in third and a length off the lead.
Attractiveness moved up alongside the front-running Danish Prince (Dane Shadow) with 600m to run, and she strode past that rival to take a clear lead at the top of the straight.
The job was far from over, however, with Cuban Cigar (Churchill) and Motoscafo (Castelvecchio) launching fierce challenges on either side of the favourite. But Attractiveness dug deep and clung on to win a tight finish.
“It was a tough win, but she’s had enough this preparation,” said Will Freedman, who trains in partnership with his father Richard.
“She’s better than that. It’s good for them to win when they’re not at their best.
“I think she's probably come to the end of her preparation. When you get to that sixth run, you start thinking the end is closer than the beginning of the prep.”
Racing in the colours of Matthew Corban’s emerging Kiwi syndication company Inspire Racing, Attractiveness has now had nine starts for four wins, two placings and A$193,950 in stakes, and the best could be yet to come.
“I’m confident that she'll end up being a stakes filly in time,” Freedman said. “Her last performance (on August 1) really stamped that for me.
“Having three wins in a preparation, with two in town, it’s no easy feat. She’s heading in the right direction.
“A race like the Epona Stakes (Gr.3, 1900m) on Golden Slipper Day (March 20) might be a good target, so we’ll probably work backwards from there. But she’s earned a break now.”
Attractiveness was bred by Helen-Gaye and Graham Bax, who offered her under their Blandford Lodge banner in Book 1 of Karaka 2024. She was bought by Inspire Racing, Matthew Corban, Richard and Will Freedman and Pinhook Bloodstock International for $120,000.
Attractiveness is by in-form Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain and is out of the High Chaparral mare Hot In High Heels (AUS), who herself won two races over 1400m and 2000m. Her dam Fairygem (NZ) (Viscount) won at Listed level in Sydney and is a half-sister to the Group One winner Penny Gem (NZ) (Pentire).
Hot In High Heels is the dam of two winners from two foals to race, with Show Pony (NZ) (Zenno Rob Roy) a winner over 1300m at Kembla Grange.
Hot In High Heels has a two-year-old filly by Bivouac and was served by Little Avondale’s Little Brose last season. - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Attractiveness (NZ) 2022
Owners: Mr W Freedman, Mr B Hagipantelis, Simsy Racing, Mr S A Aboud, Mr S A Tilley, Mr P Boyd, Mr A Armstrong, Ms V R Maguire, Mr K Martin, Inspire Racing
Trainer: Richard & Will Freedman (Rosehill)
Breeding: by Hello Youmzain (FR) out of Hot In High Heels (AUS) by High Chaparral (IRE)
Breeder: Mrs H G & W G Bax
Sales: 2024 National Yearling Sales Series V: Blandford Lodge $120,000, P: Freedman Training Pty Ltd
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
